Posts Tagged ‘parades’

We who live and work in New Orleans believe that every person should experience at least one New Orleans Mardi Gras Celebration in a lifetime. Call it prejudice or call it a heartfelt desire to share a good thing. As innkeepers of New Orleans Bed and Breakfasts, we can’t help but want to show off our hometown when it is dressed in its finest.

At the same time, we understand that not every person enjoys a crowd. In fact, some people simply can’t tolerate them. Mardi Gras Celebrations in New Orleans are a great deal of fun, but they can be crowded.

Folks interested in enjoying a taste of a New Orleans Mardi Gras without the crowds should consider arriving the week before Fat Tuesday itself. All y’all know how we love a parade, so it should be no surprise that many parades are scheduled in the weeks leading up to February 21, 2012.

As of this writing, there are two parades scheduled for Saturday, February 4, and two scheduled for Friday the 10th. There are to be three parades on the 11th and another four on Sunday the 12th. Linger in a New Orleans Bed and Breakfast over Valentine’s Day, then enjoy the Krewe of the Ancient Druids parade on the 15th.

The truth is that New Orleans is a great city any time of year. Mardi Gras is fun. If you want to get a taste of Mardi Gras without being overwhelmed by it, come to town before it gets in full swing. All the restaurants, shops, museums, and galleries will still be here, as will your favorite Bed and Breakfasts New Orleans.

The start of each new year means many things to many people. Here in New Orleans, it means Mardi Gras.

As of this writing, bakers throughout the city are pulling out their recipes for King Cakes. These colorful treats appear in stores, restaurants, bakeries and delis on January 6, and are happily consumed until Ash Wednesday. The King Cake is an old tradition, dating from the Middle Ages, and a fun one. Each cake contains a little plastic baby; the person who bites into the baby is supposed to buy the next King Cake, or host a party. It’s just one more way to ensure that the good times roll.

Fat Tuesday is on February 21 in 2012. That may seem a distant date, but celebrations begin well before then. The first parade will be held on Saturday, February 4 (that would be the adult-only Krewe du Vieux, in the French Quarter). More follow February 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and then daily from the 15th until the 21st. Parades are held Uptown, in the Metairie, and elsewhere. They celebrate King Arthur, Dionysus, Muses, Chaos, and more.

If you’re staying in a New Orleans Bed and Breakfast these days, there’s a good chance you’ll stumble upon a Mardi Gras parade. Mardi Gras parades take place morning, noon and night throughout the city during Carnival, from the French Quarter to the Metairie to Uptown. For example, this Saturday, February 26, 2011, catch a parade from Pontchartrain to Uptown at 1 p.m., or Pegasus to Uptown at 6:45 p.m..

This year, Fat Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras) falls on March 8, and to celebrate it there will be parades all over the city. Some parades feature people walking in fine attire, others feature elaborate floats that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to create. All will have music, and lots of it. Parade schedules can change at any time, so visit Mardi Gras 2011 for up-to-date information.

Mardi Gras and Carnival is celebrated in many predominantly Catholic societies each year before Lent, a period of fasting and piousness. In preparation for forty days with little or no rich foods and drink, people consume their rich foods and drink. In preparation for a lengthy period without parties or celebrations, people enjoy themselves to the fullest. So if you plan to visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras, plan to have some fun.

In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is celebrated with masquerade balls, colorful parades, and the consumption of King Cakes. New Orleans was one of the first cities to celebrate Mardi Gras in this country, and it remains the penultimate Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Experience it in 2011. Stay in a Bed and Breakfast New Orleans while you’re here.